Set Yourself Up for a Successful 2026

We're big believers in using the holiday season to position yourself for success in the year ahead. Whatever 2026 brings, there are always going to be things you can do to put yourself in the best position to meet the moment. You can't control external factors, but you can control your actions.

Here are some things you can do over the next few weeks to set yourself up for success in 2026:

Follow up with your network. Reach out to your contacts (close and distant) to send a holiday note and an invitation to coffee/drinks/etc. As you socialize over the holidays, make a point to share what you're up to and what you want to do next -- you never know who can make the connection that pushes your career forward!

Identify your next steps. Spend some time soul searching to figure out what you want to do next. Do you want to find a new role? Explore a growing space in the content landscape? Pivot your career outside the industry? Bring a creative project to life? Only you know what you truly want from your career, and you owe it to yourself to take the time to figure it out.

Get your materials into shape. We've seen more and more postings lately for media roles. Not as many traditional media roles, but new opportunities in digital, vertical, podcasts, immersive, and other areas of the creator economy. Hopefully there will be more jobs in 2026. You want to be ready with a strong resume and LinkedIn profile so you can apply as soon as an opportunity lands on your desk.

Take a break. If you're feeling burnout (or teetering toward it), that's totally normal. Make sure you take some time over the holidays to remind yourself of who you are outside of work or job searching. It'll do wonders for your confidence when you do get back into the swing of things.